


i've had a lifetime to be alone

by sweetredbeansoup



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Disaster Lineage, Everybody Gets a Hug, Fluff, Gen, Hugs, Reunions, and so, happy reunion, i watched clone wars: season seven and i was screaming because i just needed them to hug goddammit, i wrote this, it's just stupid and pointless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetredbeansoup/pseuds/sweetredbeansoup
Summary: Bo-Katan takes one look at Ahsoka and her glassy eyes before cursing in Mando’a. “Oh for kriff’s sake—really?!” she demands.“Bo,” another Mandalorian murmurs, placing a hand on her arm. “They’re her vode, c’mon.”Bo-Katan throws her hands up in the air, scowling. “Fine! Fine.” She makes a vague, aggrieved gesture at Ahsoka. “Go… do whatever it is jetii do. Be mushy.”(Ahsoka really had missed Anakin, Obi-Wan, and the 501st, and frankly, they had missed her too. But that problem can be easily solved—with hugs. Lots and lots of hugs.)
Relationships: 501st Legion & Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 22
Kudos: 315





	i've had a lifetime to be alone

**Author's Note:**

> to be honest, it's just stupid and pointless fluff. that's all there really is—just 2k of fluff and hugs. that's it. that's the story because dave filoni is exceptionally talented at ripping my heart out but that's not the _point_ —

Ahsoka rapidly taps her foot against the floor of the ship, anxious, and winces at Bo-Katan’s irritated look.

“Cut it out,” she snaps. “Where’s your confidence from earlier? Worried your plan won’t work?”

“It’ll work. Anakin and Obi-Wan are good people—they’ll help,” Ahsoka insists, but her foot doesn’t stop tapping.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“There isn’t one,” Ahsoka lies. “It’s nothing.”

Bo-Katan gives her a look that’s both doubtful and scathing. “I’m sure,” Bo-Katan replies flatly, before rolling her eyes and sighing. “Look—I don’t care. Just don’t let it get in the way of what we’re trying to do.”

“I won’t,” Ahsoka promises, and well—it’s kind of the truth. Maybe. 

Seeing Anakin and Obi-Wan probably wouldn’t be that big of a deal, right? Sure, she hadn’t seen them in literal years, and yeah, sure, she had missed them, but—

She could control herself. They had more pressing things to worry about right now—most notably, Maul—and they definitely didn’t have enough time for a reunion.

The ship shifts, turns, and stills, and Ahsoka knows that they’ve parked in the hanger. She sighs and takes a deep breath. She automatically reaches out into the Force, trying to center herself while avoiding so much as looking at the faded bond she had—used to have?—with Anakin. It seems to work, and Ahsoka takes another breath, feeling an odd sort of calm settle in her bones.

But then the door of the ship pops open with a hiss, faint steam emanating from the latch, and Ahsoka can make out Anakin and Obi-Wan. The calm that she thought she had promptly shatters, and Ahsoka swallows against the lump in her throat, fingers curling into a reflexive fist by her side.

It had been one thing to see them through the blue-glazed haze of a holocall.

It was another thing entirely to see them in person, because—stars, there were just so many details she had missed.

Anakin had gotten so much taller. He had grown his hair out—by a lot. It hung down, somewhat messy and brushing his shoulders. Obi-Wan had the beginnings of gray streaking the sides of his temples, lines carved into his face in a way that spoke of exhaustion and guilt, weary from the years of war. Anakin had those lines too, but to a lesser degree—Ahsoka can’t help but think that having Padmé to support him must have helped.

But they looked so _different_ —how long had it been since she had seen them? She hadn’t talked to either of them in ages.

The feeling of loss and regret is a gaping hole in her heart, and Ahsoka’s frozen on the ship, staring at Anakin and Obi-Wan. Absentmindedly, she realizes she might be crying. Just a little bit, because _wow_ , okay—she had really missed them. Living mostly in solitude these past years probably hadn’t helped, either. She hadn’t really had a lot of contact with anyone else, and the run-in with the Martez sisters and the Mandalorians was the most contact she’d had in… well, ages. She didn’t know how long, really.

Bo-Katan takes one look at Ahsoka and her glassy eyes before cursing in Mando’a. “Oh for kriff’s sake—really?!” she demands.

“Bo,” another Mandalorian murmurs, placing a hand on her arm. “They’re her vode, c’mon.”

Bo-Katan throws her hands up in the air, scowling. “Fine! Fine.” She makes a vague, aggrieved gesture at Ahsoka. “Go… do whatever it is jetii do. Be mushy.”

“Be mushy?” Ahsoka asks weakly, coughing slightly. “Really?”

A couple of the other Mandalorians in the ship laugh, and one of them cheerfully nudges her forward, sending Ahsoka stumbling down the gangplank.

“They’re your vode, right?” they ask kindly as she turns to face them. “Trust me, Mandalorians know the importance of family. Go ahead.”

“I’m going to ruin everything,” she warns them. “Well, your reputation, mostly. I’m going to make you guys look—what was it?—mushy. Emotional. Not warrior-like at all.”

“Don’t make me regret it,” Bo-Katan tells her irritably, and Ahsoka shrugs, somehow finding it in her to grin at Bo-Katan.

“Yeah, yeah,” she says, giving a little salute.

Ahsoka snickers at Bo-Katan’s unamused scowl as she strides forward, shoving Ahsoka further down the gangplank. “Just go already,” she grumbles. “ _Jetii_. None of you make sense.” 

Ahsoka manages to laugh past the knot in her throat, and she looks towards where Anakin and Obi-Wan are standing. Obi-Wan looks as composed as ever, but Anakin’s fidgeting, and she can’t help the burst of fondness at the familiar sight. 

She takes a step forward, coming down from the gangplank. Then another step. Two more, three more, and suddenly, she’s sprinting across the hangar, clones turning to look at her. She thinks that she can hear the clones whispering, little bits and pieces drifting past her. _Isn’t that Commander Tano? Kriff—someone go get Rex and the rest of Torrent Company!_

But she’s still running, running, and with a wet laugh, Anakin manages to catch her, grunting and stumbling back with a surprised yelp.

“You got heavier,” he says dumbly, an involuntary grin creeping across his face, and Ahsoka can’t help but laugh again.

“That’s what happens when you get older, yes,” she says dryly, a smile twitching at her mouth, and Anakin snorts.

“Fair,” he acknowledges, and he sounds regretful. “I’m so sorry, Snips,” he breathes, pulling away with a hesitant look of guilt. “I’m so sorry—I should’ve—”

Ahsoka shakes her head quickly, rapidly blinking to get the vague, half-formed tears out of her eyes. “No—I’m the one who’s sorry—I could’ve reached out, or—or something, I don’t know—”

A hand settles on her shoulder, and she turns to look at Obi-Wan. “Neither of you,” he says firmly, “have anything to apologize for.”

“Master,” Ahsoka greets, sniffling and peering at Obi-Wan. She could see the gray around his temples in sharp definition and the weary lines of his face—he looked so tired. “I—I’m going to hug you, okay?”

Obi-Wan doesn’t get the chance to do anything other than blink, dumfounded, before Ahsoka loops her arms around his middle and squeezes him tight.

“ _Hrk_ —it’s good to see you, Ahsoka,” he says, strained as he pats Ahsoka’s back.

She can hear Anakin snickering from behind them as he slings his arms around their necks, joining them in the hug. “Eloquent as ever, Obi-Wan,” he says, and Ahsoka can hear the humor and smugness in his voice.

“You’re certainly one to talk,” Obi-Wan returns, and he just sounds so _offended_ —Ahsoka can’t help the strangled laughter that slips out of her throat.

“You two—you two haven’t changed at _all_ ,” she says, brushing at her eyes.

Obi-Wan looks down at her, a soft smile on his face. “No,” he agrees wistfully. “I suppose we haven’t. But what about you, Ahsoka? How have you been?”

“Eh,” she replies, and sighs, melting further into the hug. It felt nice. “I’ve been… okay. Haven’t really gotten up to much of anything.”

She very carefully doesn’t say, _I got into a spat with a major crime syndicate and lord over dumped spice_. But from Anakin’s arched eyebrows and flicker of doubt in the Force, something tells her that her old Master knows that she managed to get herself into trouble anyway.

“I’m sure,” Anakin snorts, and Ahsoka gives a quiet squawk in protest, lightly thunking her head against his chest. But after that, it’s silent for a long moment. They just… hug. It’s nice. And warm. And—Ahsoka might be hesitant to admit it, but it feels like home.

Ahsoka doesn’t really regret leaving the Order—she can’t. Not after everything. But… she’d be lying if she said that she hadn’t missed the comfort of a family. Living in the underbelly of Coruscant had been hard and cold, and even if she had met kind people along the way, she couldn’t really trust them. They were strangers.

So the hug was nice, especially after the long period of practically no physical contact whatsoever.

But Ahsoka knows that she needs to pull back eventually—they did have things to discuss. So with a regretful sigh and one last squeeze that makes Obi-Wan wheeze and Anakin wince, Ahsoka disentangles herself from the hug, stepping back.

“It’s really good to see you two,” Ahsoka says, wiping at her eyes. “I’m glad—it’s good to see you guys doing well.”

“You too, Snips,” Anakin says, smiling, and it eases some of the lines on his face. Obi-Wan’s watching her, kind as always, and when a small smile graces his features, it seems to take entire years off of his face.

R2-D2 gives a loud beep from beside her, and Ahsoka laughs, patting his dome with a fond grin. “It’s good to see you too, Artoo.”

More beeping and flashing, and Ahsoka gives another laugh in response.

“All done?” Bo-Katan says from somewhere behind them, and Ahsoka can’t help the involuntary yelp and jump as she spins around, coming face-to-face with Bo-Katan’s annoyed expression. “Because we do actually have things that we need to discuss—”

“ _Commander?!_ ”

“Oh, for kriff’s sake, what now?” Bo-Katan demands.

Ahsoka spins back around, gaping at the members of the 501st blocking the entrance to the hangar.

“Rex?” she asks, bewildered, peering around and taking note of what troopers were there. “Jesse? Kix? All of you, what—”

“You’re here,” Rex says, eyes wide. “Kriff, Commander—”

“You don’t have to call me that,” she mutters, still surprised and counting the various troopers.

“—it’s so good to see you!”

“Not another reunion,” Bo-Katan mutters as Ahsoka picks her way across the hangar and towards the troops. “Not another kriffing reunion—there are things we need to do, can we please _focus_ —”

Obi-Wan laughs. “Let’s go to the meeting room,” he offers, gesturing for Bo-Katan to follow him as he smooths out his robes and begins walking. “We can talk there—I’m sure Ahsoka will catch up.”

“I’ll catch up too,” Anakin promises as he starts to jog away.

“Wait, what—Anakin, no!”

“I’ll be there soon!” he yells as he starts to sprint down the hangar. “I just need to grab something—it’ll only be a minute, I swear!”

“Anakin—!” 

Obi-Wan stares at Anakin’s disappearing back as it rounds the corner. He sighs, burying his head in his hands. 

“He never listens to me,” he mumbles forlornly, and Bo-Katan and the rest of the accompanying Mandalorians exchange looks before their attention is abruptly yanked back near the hangar entrance, where Ahsoka and the rest of the clones were reuniting.

“You guys painted your helmets for me?” Ahsoka demands, caught somewhere between a shriek and a sob.

“You deserve it, Commander,” Rex tells her, cautiously placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s good to have you back.”

Ahsoka wipes at her eyes again. “I missed you guys,” she says, strangled, and with a few _awws_ , the rest of the 501st promptly converges around her in a messy group hug.

“Why,” Bo-Katan mutters, and it's not even a question. She rolls her eyes, exasperated. “Just—ugh.”

The rest of the Mandalorians laugh. “They’re vode,” the same Mandalorian that had nudged Ahsoka down the gangplank says, grinning under their helmet. “She’s their vod’ika—it’s good that they haven’t forgotten their bonds.”

“...I guess,” Bo-Katan agrees reluctantly, before poking at Obi-Wan. “You said something about a meeting room? We have a lot to talk about.”

“Ah—yes,” Obi-Wan says, guiding them away. “Yes, there is quite a bit we need to discuss—”

But then Anakin comes skidding back into the hanger, holding a box with a lid that’s flapping open. His feet pound against the floor as he fumbles with the box, an infectious grin on his face.

There’s a shriek, the snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating, and a loud whoop of joy from somewhere behind them as Anakin shouts, “Ahsoka, catch!” at the same moment a panicked Rex yells, “Duck!”

It’s promptly followed by a loud thud, a few more yelps, and a somewhat ominous sizzling sound.

When Bo-Katan looks behind her, Ahsoka’s holding twin blue lightsabers, happily spinning one with a flick of her wrist. The members of the 501st are picking themselves up from where they had dropped to the ground, and there are deep, faintly smoldering lightsaber gouges in the ship’s floor.

_I don’t want to know_ , Bo-Katan decides, and follows Obi-Wan further into the ship.

**Author's Note:**

> and so everyone hugged and everyone was happy and anakin remembered that there were people in his corner and so he helped mace instead of kicking him out a window and star wars had a happy ending.
> 
> please i just wanted them to be _happy_.
> 
> but uh yeah. i hope you liked it :)
> 
> (the title is from jeremy zucker's 'always, i'll care')


End file.
